tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44472491235196583472019-03-18T09:39:19.427+01:00SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for EveryoneWhere BRO- and PRO-Science Unite in the Spirit of True WisdomAdel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-56492931760053312552012-02-19T17:33:00.001+01:002012-02-19T17:38:27.874+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Insulin Resistance: Episode I of the "Insulin Resistance Saga" - Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Lurks on Your Way to the Kindergarten
Image 1: Map with the 2007 Rates of Overweight and Obese Children in the USA. With a childhood obesity rate of 44.4% Mississipi is the uncontested no.1 (source NCSL)
When we look back at the last installment of the Intermittent Thoughts the maybe surprising, maybe foreseeable end of the "Insulin Resistance Saga" was that that our protagonist, the human body ended up in a state, in which its Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-24791779899773133752012-02-12T18:20:00.000+01:002012-02-12T18:20:10.050+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Insulin Resistance: Fats, Carbs & Lack of Exercise - Where is Our Scapegoat? Plus: Chicken or Egg - Which Came First Obesity or Insulin Resistance?
Image 1: You may think it's ugly because it is not comply with the current beauty ideal, but this small quantity of subcutaneous is probably rather a sign for high insulin sensitivity, than resistance.
In the last installment of this series, I tried to establish a new, a certainly unconventional perspective on a physiological process many people consider the #1 plague of the 21st century: Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-62430189709383669552012-02-05T17:51:00.002+01:002012-02-05T17:51:51.270+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Insulin Resistance: The Marathon Paradox - How Temporary Exercise-Induced Insulin Resistance Paves the Way for "Fat Burning Machines"
Image 1: Is this man temporary insulin resistant? Probably, otherwise he would hardly have made it to the finish line.
After weeks of discussing the physiological foundations of building muscle, I figure at least some of you will share my personal desire think about something else, at least "intermittently", so to say. Now, before some of you start complaining, let me say this: I will try to Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-76104211954780661892012-01-29T17:17:00.000+01:002017-06-29T02:26:33.679+02:00Intermittent Thoughts on Building Muscle: A Preliminary Conclusion - Exercise, mTOR/AKT/MAPK, IGF-1, Testosterone, Estrogen, DHT, Nutrition, Supps & Sleep
Image 1: Arnold obviously is flabbergast that neither of the factors mentioned in the title of this blogpost was necessary to build the impressive physique of the Arnold statue which now stands in front of the Schwarzenegger Museum.
I don't know if some of you have seen it, but on January 3, 2012, ScienceDaily published a brief news-item titled "How work tells muscles to grow". It relates to aAdel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-89401747423485978882012-01-22T18:28:00.000+01:002013-11-26T05:56:59.912+01:00Intermittent Thoughts: Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) - Bigger, Stronger, Faster or just Balder, Fatter and Unhealthier?
Image 1: The ancient Greek ideal of the male body has probably more to do with DHT than the freaky physiques of today's IFBB Pro bodybuilders.
I guess after the revelations about the importance of estrogen in the process of skeletal muscle hypertrophy in the last installment of the Intermittent Thoughts you will probably be eager to hear what its male counterpart dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-75910347987786534852012-01-15T17:49:00.001+01:002015-09-20T05:16:38.265+02:00Intermittent Thoughts on Building Muscle: Estrogen, Friend or Foe of Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy? Plus: "Hey, Bro! Are You 'SERMing' Away Your Satellite Cells?"
Image 1: Iris Kyle's back is a living testostomy, ah... pardon testimony to the muscle building powers of estrogen ;-)
Although we have identified a hell lot of verified and purported mechanisms by which testosterone, "the Big T" works its muscle building and fat burning magic, the results of the last installments of the Intermittent Thoughts was nevertheless not really satisfying. After Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-4966259278004461882012-01-08T09:17:00.001+01:002013-08-25T21:24:47.379+02:00Intermittent Thoughts on Building Muscle: Understanding the "Big T" - Testosterone Programs Stem Cells to Become Muscle not Fat + Keeps Satellite Cells & Motoneurons Alive
Image 1: Graphical summary of the probably best known function of testosterone - including who are not so "profane" as building muscle and getting ripped ;-)
In the last two installments of the Intermittent Thoughts, I have tried to convey a realistic perception of what exactly the effects of both supra- (that is below) and super- (that is above) physiological (that is "normal" in the sense Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-23389671894017703082012-01-02T09:13:00.003+01:002012-05-12T11:47:55.356+02:00Intermittent Thoughts on Building Muscle: Quantifying "The Big T" - Do Testosterone Increases Within the Physiological Range Really Matter? And How Much is too Much?
Image 1: As it turns out, changes within the broad physiological range, have only negligible effects on muscle mass. Their potential negative impact on body fat is yet startlingly pronounced (see also fig. 2)
Welcome back! I am not going back on yesterday's promise and won't let "the Big T" slip out of chokehold of science ;-) So, where was I? Ah, yes... we have seen that out of the >11,000 Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-25873747384071974842012-01-01T09:14:00.000+01:002012-01-01T18:10:28.966+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Building Muscle: Zoning in on "The Big T" - Does Testosterone (Alone) Build Muscle?
Image 1: As a "serious" researcher you better don't use the words "testosterone" and "muscle" without "anti-doping", "hypogonadism" or "sarcopania" in one of your papers, if you don't want to risk your career.
In many of the past installments we have been talking about funky things such as mTOR, myostatin, IGF splice variants and even more exotic stuff. Testosterone, the "big T", the allegedlyAdel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-42147535983258492292011-12-25T07:24:00.001+01:002011-12-25T17:40:05.181+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Building Muscle: IGF-1, TNF-α, IL-15 & Co and the Emerging Role of an Auto-/Endocrine-Immune Axis in Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy
Image 1: The word "inflammation" triggers associations which hinder a appropriate understanding of the complexities of the "inflammatory" immune response that is vitally important for (re-)building muscle tissue.
Just to make sure that I do not get off another tangent, again, I will start right off, where I left you in the last installment of the Intermittent Thoughts and that was with the Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-30841997459082250922011-12-18T14:59:00.000+01:002011-12-18T19:26:03.059+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Building Muscle: IGF-1 and its Splice Variants MGF, IGF-IEa & Co - Master Regulators or a Bunch of Cogs in the Wheel of Muscle Hypertrophy?
Image 1: With regard to IGF-1 and its splice-variants like MGF, there is probably 10x-100x more bro- than pro-scientific data out there - this does not help us, though, since you never know which of the bro-reports is bogus and which is not.
In view of the fact that we have not covered much ground with the last installment (we did build a pretty solid foundation, though ;-), I will try my veryAdel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-18195177271191973322011-12-11T07:51:00.001+01:002011-12-28T08:35:28.820+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Building Muscle: The Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy 101 - Part 2: Getting Big Means Growing Beyond Temporary Physiological Limits.
Image 1: This is another type of "dysfunctional muscle"; distinct from the one we are talking about, here
Although I assume that you all have read the last installment of the Intermittent Thoughts, I took FatFree's comment that he (or she?) was missing the "too comlicated check box" from the old design to the heart (I do so with every comment, btw, so keep them coming) and kick off today's Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-83321351311271947352011-12-04T15:39:00.001+01:002011-12-04T18:05:55.131+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Building Muscle: The Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy 101 - Part 1: What is Hypertrophy?
Image 1: Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as a teen and in his early twenties. What - puberty aside - were the underlying mechanisms of the obvious increase in sleeve-size? I mean on a strictly myocellular level, of course ;-)
Those of you, who have been following the Intermittent Thoughts series over the last weeks will probably already have realized that I finally dropped the "IntermittentAdel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-78751764038995001112011-11-27T16:58:00.000+01:002011-11-27T19:09:59.140+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Intermittent Fasting - Programing Success: Accept Your Weaknesses, Learn From Your Mistakes, Identify Your Strengths and Build a Better Body!
Image 1: You may call it "toning" or "shaping", but in the end it's bodybuilding in the literal sense.
Assuming that you are all "lean and mean" by now and thus ready to build some serious muscle (for those who missed it, read last week's installment on "Why you better lean out before bulking"), we can finally delve into your first steps on your way to ... wait. I hope you did not forget your Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-61287758828992863162011-11-20T08:02:00.001+01:002011-11-21T13:21:17.402+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Intermittent Fasting - Programing Success: Building Muscle Begins With Losing Body Fat.
Image 1: Arnold does the "double bicep" + vacuums. If you want to look like a bodybuilder, muscle alone is not enough.
First, I want to thank Jahed, Pablo, RF, Angimal, Garrett and Rudolf for their patience. After all, it has been two weeks now since you have submitted your (meta-)goals, which were all more related to building muscle and increasing performance, then to losing body fat, which Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-31080997048844199162011-11-13T07:36:00.001+01:002011-11-14T09:11:32.633+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Intermittent Fasting - Programing Success: Stocktaking, Goal Setting, -Tracking & -Resetting to Achieve a Healthy Weight & Shed Excess Body Fat
Image 1: You need to know exactly where you are and where you
want to go. Read on to learn how your very own PPS can help you in
achieving the goal you set as a homework from the last episode.
Assuming that all of you did your homework from the last installment of the Intermittent Thoughts, you should by know know the general direction into which you want to be heading. The first thing we Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-35467015940715938962011-11-06T17:34:00.001+01:002013-02-27T16:26:54.114+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Intermittent Fasting - Finally Getting Started - Setting Yourself Up For Success!
Image 1: Socrates unquestionably did not look like he knew anything about intermittent fasting or physical culture, but he knew a lot about how to unlock the potential of his students.
In the last parts of the series you have learned so much about the biochemical underpinnings of how your diet and exercise regimen can change the way you look, feel and perform that you should by now have a Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-3257544187066918742011-10-30T17:49:00.000+01:002013-02-27T16:23:49.073+01:00Intermittent Thoughts On Intermittent Fasting - Exercise (3/3): How Training Solves the AMPK/mTOR Antagonism.
Image 1: Just like Two-Face, a character from the Batman comic books, AMPK turns out to have two faces,... ah I mean isoforms the differential expression of which explain why exercise, contrary to starving yourself, maintains or even builds muscle mass while reducing your love handles (img batman.wikia.com).
In the last installment of the Intermittent Thoughts on Intermittent Fasting series, Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-44994921722091928852011-10-23T17:28:00.001+02:002013-02-27T16:23:49.151+01:00Intermittent Thoughts On Intermittent Fasting - Exercise (2/3): Opening the "Anabolic Barn Door" With the Key of Exercise and Nutrition Science!
Image 1: The "anabolic window" turns out to be more of a barn door, which is unlocked by the key of exercise and nutrition science (Random House Books)
Looking back, the main take-aways from the last installment were the dependence of exercise performance on adequate and not so much constant energy supply, as discussed in the context of the Ramadan fasting soccer players, the increased AMPK Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-2621414029204581082011-10-16T17:16:00.001+02:002013-02-27T16:23:49.042+01:00Intermittent Thoughts On Intermittent Fasting - Exercise (1/3): Cycling, Powerlifting and Lean Gaining ;-)
Image 1: It may be more effective than your usual "eat half as much diet", but even with intermittent fasting exercise is compulsory, not facultative.
In the last installments of this series we have analyzed the natural interplay between AMPK and mTOR, have learned that chronic over-expression of either of the two can be detrimental to the way you look, feel and perform and have scratched on Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-40959671797540693872011-10-09T17:38:00.001+02:002013-02-27T16:23:49.125+01:00Intermittent Thoughts On Intermittent Fasting - AMPK III/III: Natural Rythmicity for Maximum Fat & Minimal Muscle Loss
Image 1: The quest for fat loss, muscle size, health and longevity reminds me of the famous egg-laying wool-milk-sow.
(img austria-lexicon)
At the end of last weeks installment, I provided you with an extensive, yet obviously "incomplete" list of AMPK-"promoters", among which the organosulfur compound alpha lipoic acid (ALA) turned out to be of chief interest in the subsequent enjoyable andAdel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-6936181588483852632011-10-03T17:35:00.001+02:002013-02-27T16:23:49.201+01:00Intermittent Thoughts On Intermittent Fasting - AMPK II/III: Leucine, HMB and a Glimpse on Other AMPK Modulators
Image 1: You pick a health, diet or diabetes supplement and I find the study that shows that in one way or another its effect is related to AMPK ;-)
I ended yesterday's installment of the Intermittent Thoughts on Intermittent Fasting Series on a pretty bold statement about the benefits of preworkout BCAA supplementation that would, at first sight, contradict common sense, or rather what commonAdel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-20793191718580340092011-10-02T17:04:00.001+02:002013-02-27T16:23:48.991+01:00Intermittent Thoughts On Intermittent Fasting - AMPK I/III: Zoning in on Its Effects on Body Composition
Image 1: One reason why IF works is that it breaks the unnatural constant and convenient availability of high energy food and the subsequent suppression of AMPK phosphorylation (img courtesy of foxsearchlight)
In the last installments of this series we have begun to dig deeper into the signaling mechanisms that are / could be involved in the beneficial effects intermittent fasting is hailed Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-23086894911079748212011-09-25T17:48:00.002+02:002014-11-17T10:51:23.654+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Intermittent Fasting - The Switch: Introducing the AMPK vs. mTOR Metabolic Seesaw
Figure 1: The mTOR - AMPK "cycle" can become a vicious one, as soon as its natural balance becomes disturbed by external, mostly nutritional and/or exercise related factors. Intermittent fasting could help you restore the balance.
Before we prematurely(?) break the fast and get to the nitty gritty of the feeding
window, I want to briefly recapitulate the results of the last installment,Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-20289902052984474432011-09-18T17:16:00.002+02:002013-02-27T16:23:48.966+01:00Intermittent Thoughts on Intermittent Fasting - The Fast #2: Health & Longevity Effects of Intermittent Fasting
Image 1: Any roundworms reading this? I hope you know that by not eating enough and feeling miserable you can extend your lifespan ;-)
Thanks Caenorhabditis elegans, or "C. elegans", almost everybody who is able to read a newspaper or online magazine will have heard of the miraculous effects of calorie restriction and fasting on longevity (of this worm!). Since I assume that you possess more Adel Moussahttps://plus.google.com/115580542653616912184noreply@blogger.com